Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology which is used when a component (work) placed in a predetermined state such as an irregular state is picked. The present invention particularly relates to a technology which is used when works placed in a predetermined state are photographed by a camera or the like, the positions and/or orientation of each of the works are estimated from the photographed images and the works are picked.
Description of the Related Art
The following techniques are investigated as a technique for photographing works which have been placed in a predetermined state with a camera or the like, and estimating the positions and/or orientations of each of the works from the photographed images at high speed.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-245283, when the orientation of the work is estimated, the orientation is selected from among a plurality of stable orientations which have been limited, and thereby the reduction of a processing time is intended.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-186219, stability is calculated for each orientation of the work, a template is not used which expresses an orientation having low stability, and thereby the reduction of a processing time is intended.
In Japanese Patent No. 3300092, a value is stochastically predicted which a parameter for previously determining the positions and/or orientation of the work can assume, an operation range in the image and a parameter space range are specified, and thereby the enhancement of the efficiency of an operation is intended.
In order to sequentially pick a work from the works which have been placed in a predetermined state such as an irregular state by a robot, it is necessary to accurately estimate the positions and/or orientations of the works.
The technique of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-245283 limits the estimated orientation of the work to the vicinity of the stable orientation. Accordingly, the technique cannot accurately estimate the orientation of a work, which has been greatly displaced from a supposed stable orientation. There occurs a problem, for instance, when an orientation has occurred which has been greatly displaced from the stable orientation due to such a cause that works overlap each other or the like. In addition, the technique of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-245283 does not consider the probability (occurrence probability) that the orientation occurs, for each stable orientation, and accordingly cannot reduce erroneous estimation for the orientation by using the occurrence probability.
In addition, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-186219, the stability of the orientation is used when a template is formed, but the stability is not used in order to obtain an accurate estimation result of the orientation. Accordingly, it is not considered to reduce erroneous estimation of the orientation by using the stability for the estimation of the orientation.
In addition, in Japanese Patent No. 3300092 as well, the value is stochastically predicted which a parameter for previously determining the positions and/or orientations of the work can assume but it is not considered to reduce erroneous estimation of the orientation by using the prediction.